Fastener for shoe-uppers.



V PATENTED MAR.- 5, 1907'.

a. K; SHAROOD. FASTENER FOR SHOE UPPERS.

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- [NVENTOR W00 .4 0 1w TIIW APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1906.

I/VIYNESSES A Tram EH5 UNITED s'rngzs OFFICE.

FASTENER FOR SHOE-UPPERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratenteo March 5, 1907.

Application filed May 18,1906. Serial No. 317.599.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES K. Snlinoon, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Fastener for Shoe-Uppers, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to devices of that class employed for holding the upper of a shoe in proper position on a last during the proper fitting of the sole.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved fastening device which may be passed through the lacing-eyelets and then locked or hooked, the device being of such construction as to form a spring, which will tend to hold the parts in fastened or locked position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this class which may be readily adjusted in order to accommodate shoes having lacing-eyelets spaced at different intervals.

WVith these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts herein after fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe-upper having a fastening constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the fastener detached. Figs. 3 and 4 are views similar to Fig. 2, illustrating slight modifications of the invention.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The fastening is approximately in the form of an open rectangle and in the preferred construction is made of two pieces of wire so connected as to permit adjustment of the fastener where the lacing-eyelets are at varying distances from each other. The main section 10 of the fastener is substantially U shape in general contour, comprising a crossbar 11, the opposite ends of which are bent into approximately V form and thence are extended to form a pair of parallel arms 12 and 13, the arm 13 being of considerably greater length than the arm 12 and being preferably rebent to form a small knob or handle 14 for convenience in locking and unlocking the fastener. The arm 12 is pro vided with an outwardly-bent eye 15. The smaller section 16 comprises an arm 17 and a cross-bar 18, that are arranged approximately at a right angle to each other, and at the juncture of the arm and bar the wire is bent in such manner as to form a slight torsionspring that will tend to hold the hook 19 at the end of the bar in engagement with the arm 13. The upper end of the arm 17 passes through an eye 15 and terminates in an eye 20, that encircles the arm 12.

The connection between the two arms 12 and 17 is of such character that there is a constant tendency to turn the arm 17 and cause the cross-bar 18 to move in such manner as to engage and retain the arm 13, the torque being sufficient to hold the parts firmly'secured in the position shown in h ig. 1. The engaging arms and eyes are furthermore so constructed as to permit of ready adjustment of the distance between the cross-bars 11 and 18, so that in case the distance between the lacing-eyes varies in different shoes there will be no difficulty in applying the fastener.

In the construction shown in Fig. 3 the fastener is formed of a single piece of springwire, and one of the arms is bent or coiled to form a spring 15 the torque of which tends to hold the lower arm 18 in locked positionthat is to say, in engagement with the arm 13. The spring 15 is furthermore capable of expansion or contraction in the direction of its length, so that slight variations in the distance between the lacing-eyelets will not hinder the ready application of the fastener.

1n the construction shown in Fig. 4 one of the arms is provided with a loop 15*, which is formed by simply coiling the wire once, the loop being of such construction as to exercise the desired torsional strain and at the same time permit of adjustment of the distance between the upper and lower crossbars 11 and 18.

The device may be readily applied to uppers without injury to the latter and when in use will effectually hold the upper in proper position on the last during the application of the sole or other steps in the process of manu facture of the shoe.

I claim- 1. A shoe-upper fastener having parallel cross-bars and parallel side arms, one of the cross-bars having a hooked connection with one of the side arms, and the other side arm being extensible to adjust the distance between the cross-bars, the means which permits extension of the arm serving also to exercise torque on the latter for the purpose of maintaining the hooked engagement of the cross-bar and side arms.

2. A shoe-upper fastener comprising two sections of spring-wire, each having a loop encircling the other, and the loop connections being constructed to exercise a torsional strain between the sections as well as permitting extension of the fastener, said sections being arranged to form an open rectangle and the end of one section having a hook for engagement with the end portion of the other section, these parts being kept in engagement by the torsional strain between the two sections.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

QHARLES K. SHAROOD.

Vitncsses:

J. R. VVILBOR, L. M. CLARK. 

